Don't Blink

My five year old, Loki, goes to Catholic school. We were walking to his first grade classroom the other day when he passed by a statue of St. Michael the Archangel holding a sword.

"Mommy," he said in his most informative big boy voice, "the weeping angel has a sword. Whatever you do, don't blink."

I laughed and laughed. (Dr. Who fans will understand, surely. Also, I read the Catechism of the Catholic Church in its entirety and am confident that 1) it is not sinful to watch scary tv with your five year old and 2) I am a complete lawyer nerd, since no one reads the Catechism.)

That particular morning, we had left the house two minutes late, which was JUST late enough to get stuck in traffic and miss carpool, so we were only walking across campus because we did not stick to our schedules. I had a full work day planned and lunch with a friend. My to do list was long. And, suddenly, my plan was changed dramatically, due to a traffic accident several miles away from where my car was on the road.

But I was okay because I could, at a glance, tell what I needed to truly do and what could be rescheduled to another day.

I could reschedule quickly and easily in my planner. I ended up getting everything done and putting supper on the table.

For Loki, getting to school late became an opportunity to make a funny joke. (The little stinker KNEW it was funny, too.)

For me, it became another opportunity to remember why I take (some would say "waste") the time to plan. Things went wrong, and I followed Loki's advice. Don't blink. 

Just keep your eyes open by writing down your appointments and tasks, and you will get through each day smoothly, with plenty of free time left to watch The Doctor.

Etcetera.